Gate-latch.



No. 865,844. PATENTED SEPT. 10, 1907.' Y A. A. ADAMS.

GATE LATCH. 1

APPLIOA'I'IOH ma n JAN. 29, 1901.

UNITED STATES ALLEN A. ADAMS, or BERRYTON, KANSAS.

GATE-LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 29, 1907. Serial 354,710-

Patented Sept. 10, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN A. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Berryton, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate-Latches; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to inake and use the same. 7

This invention relates to gate latches and more particularly to thatclass of such devices which are adapted for use with what are known asautomatic or self-closing gates.

It has for its object to provide a device of this kind which will besimple and efiicient and can be applied to ordinary gates with littletrouble or expense.

7 The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention, in wh ichz- Figure1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a gate provided with one formof my invention, the gate being shown closed in full lines and ready tobe opened in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the gate inthe act of being closed; Fig. 3 is an elevation of a portion of thehinge post, showing my improved lock mechanism in position; and Fig. 4is a broken elevation of a portion of the gate and the latching postshowing a different form of latching mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, which are for illustrativepurposes only and therefore are not drawn to scale, 1 indicates the gatewhich may be of any suitable form and construction. It is provided withany suitable hinge mechanism which is adapted to lift the gatevertically, as shown in dotted lines at 2 in Fig. 1. In the form ofhinge shown in the drawings the upper hinge member 3 is adapted to beraised vertically as by a cam 4 and any suitable actuating mechanism asthe ordinary cord 5.

The locking mechanism consists of a plate 6, which is pivotally-mountedupon a vertically-movable member 7, said member being preferablyprovided at its lower end with a bolt or projection 8 for the receptionof the plate 6. The member 7 can be secured in any desired manner butpreferably by means of a bolt or lag screw 9, which projects through aslot 10 into the post 11.

Movably mounted upon the gate at its hinged end in position for beingengaged by the plate 6 is a trip 12, preferably in the form of an anglelever pivoted at 13. Connected with the upper end of said lever is a rod14, which extends to the free end of the gate where it is provided withmeans. for engaging with the latch post 15 and being thereby movedlongitudinally toward the hinge post. it is also provided with means formoving itin the opposite direction, which will cause the outer end ofthe lever 12 to be normally held in position for engaging the plate 6.The means for moving the rod in this latter direction preferablyconsists of a coiled spring 16 near its free end, or the rod may beconnected with the free end of a spring 17, which is secured to the headof the gate so as to normally hold the lever 12 in its operativeposition and also cause a lip or projection 18 upon said spring to be inposition for engaging with the latch post when the gate is closed.

In operating a gate provided with my improved latch as above described,the gate is raised vertically which will cause the end of the lever 12to engage with the plate 6 and thereby withdraw the free end of the rod14 or the latch connected therewith when the latter is used, fromengagement with the catch 19, which will release the iree end of thegate and permit of its being swung into its open position in the usualmanner. By pivotally-mounting the plate 6 it will be seen that as thegate swings upon its hinge in being thus opened, the plate will swingupon its pivot so long as the lever 12 is engaged therewith but as soonas it is disengaged from said lever the plate will swing downwardly intoits normal position ready for being engaged by said lever when the gateis to be again opened.

In closing the gate, its free end is swung around so as to cause thefree end of the rod 14 or the lip 18 when the spring 17 is used, toengage with the catch 19, or the side of the post as the case may be,which will move the rod 14 longitudinally toward the hinge post andthereby swing the outer end of the lever 12 downward so that it will notengage with the plate 6 until after the gate has fully closed and itslatch has dropped into the catch upon the catch post.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my improved fastening device isvery simple and efficient and can be readily applied to the gate as thelever 12 may be secured within the hinged end of the gate or upon oneside of it, as can also be done with the spring connection at the freeend of the rod.

Other changes or modifications that will come within the scope of theappended claims can be made without departing from the spirit of myinvention.-

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a gate, a hinge post, a gate pivotally and vertically movablymounted thereon, latching mechanism on said gate, and means on said postfor being engaged by said latching mechanism when the gate is raisedvertically.

2. In a gate, a post, a gate pivotally and vertically movably mountedthereon and provided with latching mechanism, a plate pivotally mountedon said post in position for being engaged by the latching mechanism andactuating the same when the gate is raised vertically.

3. In a gate, a post, a gate pivotally and vertically 1110V ably mountedthereon, a slotted member provided at its lower end with a projection, abolt through said slot, :1 plate pivotall wmounted on said projection,and latching mechanism upon the gate in position for engaging with saidplate when the gate is raised vertically.

4. In a gate, a post provided with locking mechanism. a gate pivotallyand vertically-mounted upon the post, an elbow lever pivotally-mountedon the gate in position for engaging with said locking mechanism, andlatching, mechanism connected with said lever.

5. In a gate, a post provided with locking mechanism, a gate pivotallyand vertically mounted on said post, an elbow lever pivotally-mounted onthe gate in position for engaging said locking mechanism, alongitudinally mov 10 able rod mounted on the gate, one end of which isconnected with said lever and the free end is provided with springmechanism for normallyho1ding the outer end of said lever in engagementwith said plate.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ALLEN A. ADAMS. Witnesses:

LOUISE WILSON, J. H. YATES.

